Islanders recover, defeat Flyers in OT to gain in East wild-card race

PHILADELPHIA -- Brock Nelson scored at 1:24 of overtime, and the New York Islanders recovered for a 4-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Monday.

Nelson won it after Morgan Frost turned the puck over in the Flyers' zone. Kyle Palmieri got the puck and sent it back to Nelson, who scored from the slot.

"Didn't really feel like we were going to have a look in overtime there without the puck," Nelson said. "And then a good job by [Palmieri] to stay on it and force that turnover, and made a nice play there to get that. Nice to get on the score sheet and hopefully get rolling."

Nelson's goal came after Frost tied it 3-3 with 10 seconds remaining in the third period and Ivan Fedotov pulled for an extra attacker. Frost's initial redirection of Jamie Drysdale's shot from the point was stopped by Semyon Varlamov, but the rebound bounced back to Frost, who knocked it in under the goalie's glove.

"You can't let stuff like that change your mindset," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "This is a hockey game that, there's ebbs and flows. There's mistakes, there's momentum changes. Stay even-keeled. Keep pushing. It happens. Goal goes in, what're you going to do from there? I think we responded well in overtime."

Lee, Bo Horvat and Matt Martin also scored for New York (32-27-15), which has won two of three. Varlamov made 30 saves, including 18 in the third period, in his third straight start.

"I think both teams played pretty desperate," Martin said. "It felt like a playoff game. Lot of emotion, lot of energy. Tough to give up one late, but good response by 'Palms' and 'Nelly' there. Big goal."

The Islanders moved three points back of the Washington Capitals, who have played one fewer game, for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. They are also four points back of the Flyers, who are in third in the Metropolitan Division, with two games in hand.

"I mean, no one was happy when [Frost's goal] went in, because we knew exactly what it meant," New York coach Patrick Roy said. "... We might not be happy to give them one point today, but we're going to be happy maybe down the road to have those two points."

Noah Cates and Travis Sanheim scored for Philadelphia (36-29-11), which lost its fifth straight game (0-3-2). Fedotov made 19 saves on 21 shots in his NHL debut after replacing Samuel Ersson (four saves on six shots) at the start of the second period.

"I'm not a young guy (27 years old) and have some experience and know how it's working," said Fedotov, who joined the Flyers on Friday following the termination of his contract with CSKA of the Kontinental Hockey League. "I don't care if it's playing from the first minute or during the game. I need to play, so it doesn't matter. I just want to help the team. Give energy, emotion and that's it."

Cates gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 4:57 of the first period with a shot from the high slot.

Martin tied it 1-1 at 12:03, scoring off the stick of Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula after a clearing attempt by Scott Laughton was knocked down in the slot by Kyle MacLean.

Horvat scored his 30th of the season 18 seconds later to put the Islanders ahead 2-1. He beat Ersson blocker side from the left circle on a 3-on-2 rush.

Sanheim scored 43 seconds into the second period to tie it 2-2, skating the puck the length of the ice before beating Varlamov glove side off the post from the high slot.

"Not sure we really liked our game for the majority of it, but find a way to get a point," Sanheim said. "Unfortunate break in overtime."

Lee put New York back in front 3-2 at 17:54 of the second when he redirected Alexander Romanov's shot from the left point.

"This is a huge game for us to make up some ground," Nelson said. "Would have liked to do it in regulation, for sure, but to get the extra point, it's still something. ... We were approaching it like it was a do-or-die scenario for us, just given that this is a team specifically that we're chasing, couple games in hand. We need the points."

Philadelphia was outshot by New York 17-3 in the second period.

"Soft," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "One guy played: the goalie.

"There are certain people, they don't have a clue how to play or just don't have it in them to play in these types of situations. And this is why I'm glad we're playing them, because we have to figure things out as far as what we're going to become as a team here. That was embarrassing, the second period for the Philadelphia Flyer uniform, the way we played. Embarrassing. High marks as far as how we came back in the third (outshot New York 19-3)."

NOTES: Nelson's goal was also his 30th, the third straight season he's reached the mark. He's the first Islanders player to score at least 30 goals in three straight seasons since Matt Moulson from 2009-12. ... Horvat's goal was his 500th point in the NHL. ... Varlamov has started three straight games for the first time since March 29-April 1, 2022. ... Flyers forward Sean Couturier left the game with 7:39 remaining in the first period after falling hard into the boards in the Islanders' zone. Tortorella had no update after the game. ... Drysdale had an assist and four shots on goal in 20:52 of ice time in his return after missing 16 games because of an upper-body injury.